Installation for producing a spunbonded fabric web whereof the diffuser is distant from the drawing slot device

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns an installation for producing a spunbonded fabric web comprising a diffuser defining for the filaments a passage with diverging cross-section, and mounted a certain distance from the slot attenuator, and a conveyor for receiving the filaments coming out of the diffuser. The uniformity of the web is enhanced by means of a device separating the filaments by electrostatic process mounted at a higher level than the bottom of the passage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART

The present invention relates to plants or installations for producing a nonwoven web usually called by the generic name “spunbond”, which is formed from continuous synthetic filaments.

A plant or installation for producing a nonwoven web is already known that comprises, in succession from the top down, a means of generating a curtain of filaments, a slot attenuator for drawing the filaments of the curtain, a diffuser, that defines, for the attenuated filaments, a passage having a cross section, along the width of the curtain, that never decreases and, at least once, increases, and a conveyor for collecting the filaments exiting the diffuser.

The means for generating a curtain of filaments usually comprises an extruder intended to extrude a molten organic polymer through a spinneret drilled with numerous holes so as to form a curtain of filaments and, beneath the spinneret, a device for cooling the curtain of filaments. The slot attenuator for attenuating the filaments of the curtain generally has opposed side walls and opposed end walls that define an oblong inlet slot for receiving the filaments and an oblong outlet slot from which the filaments exit. A slot-shaped passage extends between the inlet and the outlet and the filaments pass therethrough, being attenuated by the injection of a stream of air into the slot-shaped passage, which stream is sufficient to attenuate the filaments. Beneath this slot attenuator for attenuating the filaments of the curtain is the diffuser, which is intended to spread out the incoming curtain. The web which thus forms on the collecting conveyor placed beneath the diffuser is thus more uniform.

The invention aims to further improve the uniformity of the web, this also being reflected in an improvement in the appearance and the mechanical strength.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, the diffuser is mounted a certain distance from the slot attenuator and an electrostatic separator for electrostatically separating the filaments from one another is provided, at the bottom of the slot attenuator or in the diffuser. This electrostatic separator is especially mounted toward the top of the diffuser, for example in the top three-quarters and preferably in the top quarter.

By separating the slot attenuator from the diffuser by a certain distance, a uniform flow of air is provided along the length of the diffuser, so that the velocity of the air in the diffuser is very uniform over its width, thereby avoiding velocity variations that may result in filament agglomeration prejudicial to the uniformity with which the fibers are laid down on the conveyor.

By subjecting the filaments of the curtain to the action of the electrostatic separator, which has the effect of creating mutual repulsion of the filaments of the curtain whatever their position in the curtain, the effect of mating the velocity of the filaments created by the diffuser uniform is combined with the electrostatic effect within the core of the curtain. This thus ensures that the curtain is as uniform as possible. Furthermore, with the electrostatic separator acting on the filaments while they are still close together, either at the outlet of the slot attenuator or at the start of the diffuser, it is possible to keep the supply voltage for the electrostatic separator at a relatively low value, for example between 10 and 40 kV, thereby preventing the formation of electric arcs that would produce serious defects in the web. The consumption of electricity by the plant remains low.

Preferably, the diffuser is at a certain distance from the slot attenuator, especially at a distance of 3 to 20 mm, preferably 5 to 13 mm. This distance makes it possible to have a lateral inflow of air on each side of the diffuser by the venturi effect, the air ejected from the attenuation slot with a high velocity (about 50 to 60 meters per second) generating strong suction at the inlet of the diffuser. The amount of air drawn in by the venturi effect depends on the velocity of the air ejected via the attenuation slot and the distance separating the attenuation slot from the diffuser.

When the electrostatic separator is located toward the top of the diffuser, it is advantageous for the width of the top of the passage of the diffuser to be very slightly greater, for example by 2 to 5 mm, than that of the attenuation slot facing it, so as to prevent some of the filaments exiting the attenuation slot from touching the walls of the diffuser, which would result in the appearance of numerous defects. Good results have been obtained for an attenuation slot width between 5 and 15 mm and, correspondingly, a width at the top of the diffuser passage between 7 and 20 mm.

Preferably, at least one lateral opening and up to five lateral openings are provided on one of the walls or on both walls of the diffuser. These openings, which extend over the entire length of the diffuser and run to the outside, make it possible to balance the static pressure established in the diffuser, thereby preventing the streams of air separating along the walls. These openings may have widths of 3 to 10 mm. They prevent the edge effects and make the velocity profile at the outlet of the diffuser uniform, which results in a better distribution of the fibers on the conveyor.

According to one embodiment, the diffuser is formed from two divergent plates, the angle between the two plates being between 3° and 30°, and preferably between 3 and 10°, and able to be adjusted so as to optimize the rate at which the air slows down in the diffuser and the velocity of the air ejected from the diffuser before the filaments are laid on the conveyor. This allows the velocity to be adjusted according to the characteristics of the product manufactured, the grammage, the linear density of the filaments, and other factors. Good results have been obtained with a diffuser having a length between 100 and 600 mm, while the distance between the bottom of the diffuser and the conveyor is between 50 and 500 mm.

The electrostatic separator has needles which are preferably set back from the passage defined in the diffuser, for example by about 1 mm, from the surface of the wall so as to prevent filaments from agglomerating at the needles during the plant startup phase.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the appended drawings, given solely by way of example:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an installation or plant according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the diffuser; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on a larger scale of the upper part of the diffuser of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The installation or plant comprises an extruder 1 fed with a synthetic polymer and a spinneret 2 for forming a curtain of filaments 3. The spinneret is formed from a plate having numerous holes with a diameter that depends on the filaments extruded. These holes are distributed over a number of parallel rows. For example, there are 18 rows over a spinneret width of 140 mm.

At the exit, that is to say just beneath the spinneret 2, there is a cooling unit 4 for lowering the temperature of the filaments and composed of a number of successive zones 4 a, 4 b, 4 c, which allow the curtain of filaments 3 to be subjected to streams of air whose velocity and temperature may be adjusted. The length of this cooling zone may be around 1 200 mm.

Downstream, and therefore beneath this cooling unit 4, there is a conventional attenuator 5 with a slot F. It is composed of two walls that define between them a passage in the form of a slot F, into which pressurized air, for example at a pressure of 0.5 bar, is injected. This slot attenuator makes it possible to suck the curtain of filaments and entrain it by high-velocity air streams, thereby attenuating the filaments.

In a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, an electrostatic filament separator is provided after the slot attenuator 5 and at the top of the diffuser. This separator essentially comprises two plates 8 and 9 facing each other, in one of which there is a housing for housing a bar 10 made of an electrically conducting material, from which bar emanate, toward the plate 8, needles 11, said needles, however, not projecting beyond the inner face 12 of the wall 9. The plate 8 and the bar 10 are connected to a current generator 13 so that an electric field is established between the needles 11 and the plate 8.

Mounted beneath the slot attenuator 5 is a diffuser 6 from 100 to 600 mm in length. This diffuser 6, shown in particular in FIG. 2, has two walls 14, 15 making an angle of 5° between them and each being provided with three openings 16 extending over the entire length. The diffuser 6 is placed 10 mm below the attenuator 5 and the width d of the attenuation slot is just less than the width D of the top of the passage defined by the diffuser 6. Mounted in the wall 15 of the diffuser 6 is the electrostatic separator 17 as shown in FIG. 3.

There is a conventional conveyor 7 beneath the diffuser 6 at a distance of 50 to 500 from the diffuser.

In a variant, the electrostatic separator is placed at the bottom of the slot attenuator. 

1. An installation for producing a nonwoven web, comprising, from the top down, a means for generating a curtain of filaments having a length in the direction of filament travel through the installation, a width and a thickness, a cooling unit positioned below the filament generating means for impinging cooling air onto the curtain of filaments to lower the temperature of the curtain of filaments, a slot attenuator for drawing the filaments of the curtain, a diffuser that defines, for the attenuated filaments, a passage for receiving the full width of the curtain of filaments and spreading out the curtain entering the passage, the passage having a length and a passage width extending through the thickness of the attenuated curtain of filaments, the passage width never decreasing in size in the direction of filament travel, and a conveyor for collecting the filaments exiting the diffuser, characterized in that the diffuser is disposed a distance from the slot attenuator to form an unobstructed opening to the ambient air and to provide unimpeded and uniform lateral inflow of air on each side of the diffuser by the venturi effect, and there is provided an electrostatic separator for separating the filaments in an electrostatic manner, the electrostatic separator being located at the bottom of the slot attenuator or in the diffuser.
 2. The installation as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the diffuser and the attenuator is comprised between 3 and 20 mm.
 3. The installation as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the separator is mounted at the bottom of the slot attenuator.
 4. The installation as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the separator is mounted toward the top of the diffuser.
 5. The installation as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the separator is mounted in the top three-quarters of the diffuser.
 6. The installation as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the diffuser has lateral openings extending over the entire length.
 7. The installation as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the width (d) of the attenuation slot is smaller than the width (D) of the passage at the top of the diffuser.
 8. The installation as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the separator has needles that are set back from the passage defined in the diffuser.
 9. The installation as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the separator is mounted at the bottom of the slot attenuator.
 10. The installation as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the separator is mounted toward the top of the diffuser.
 11. The installation as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the separator is mounted in the top three-quarters of the diffuser.
 12. The installation as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the separator has needles that are set back from the passage defined in the diffuser.
 13. The installation as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the separator has needles that are set back from the passage defined in the diffuser.
 14. The installation as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the separator has needles that are set back from the passage defined in the diffuser.
 15. The installation as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the separator has needles that are set back from the passage defined in the diffuser.
 16. The installation as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the separator has needles that are set back from the passage defined in the diffuser.
 17. The installation as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the separator has needles that are set back from the passage defined in the diffuser. 